Wall Shelf and Slidable Mount

ABSTRACT

A shelf and slideable mount, which is made up of, but not necessarily limited to, the following components: (1) a mount which features anchor nail platforms and/or holes which accommodate screws, and angled sides, and (2) a shelf which features a horizontal plane and a vertical cover portion which slides over the mount.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of, and further is related toand claims the benefit of, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.63/225,722, filed Oct. 14, 2021 the disclosure of which application isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally household decor and in particular to ashelf and a mount for attaching the shelf to the wall.

2. Background

Currently, there are a number of solutions for metal shelves. Metalshelves can be aesthetically pleasing as they create a modern, sleekprofile. Metal shelves are also economical to manufacture. Typically,metal shelves are made of bent sheet metal but are attached withtraditional screws which require cumbersome toggle bolts, lag bolts, ordrywall anchors. This can require a difficult installation process asthe shelves have to held up level to the wall while attaching the screwsinto the wall to affix the shelf. Also, once the shelves are attached,they cannot be easily removed. Such metal shelves also typically haveexposed fasteners, which may not be aesthetically pleasing to the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be desirable to have a shelf which can be economicallymanufactured out of bent sheet metal, and which can be quickly installedwith anchor nails as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 111,111,942. It is alsodesirable to have a universal mount that can accommodate many differentshelf configurations or other items such as hooks which the user wishesto fasten to the wall. Furthermore, it would be desirable to have auniversal mount which can be installed via several methods, including byusing screws mounted into wood studs, or drywall anchors, in lieu ofusing anchor nails. The disclosed device advantageously fills theseneeds and addresses the aforementioned deficiencies by providing auniversal mount with angled sides, more than one anchor nail platforms,and one or more holes that can accommodate screws. The mount canaccommodate not only shelves but other objects such as hooks or draperyrod brackets.

Disclosed is a shelf and slideable mount, which is made up of, but notnecessarily limited to, the following components: (1) a mount whichfeatures anchor nail platforms and/or holes which accommodate screws,and angled sides, and (2) a shelf which features a horizontal plane anda vertical cover portion which slides over the mount.

The device may also have one or more of the following: a shelf made outof a single piece of bent sheet metal, or a wood shelf which isotherwise attached to a bracket that slides over the mount. The mountcan be made of metal, or a strong plastic such as nylon.

The disclosed device is advantageous when compared with other knowndevices and solutions because it provides: (1) a shelf made out of bentsheet metal and (2) a mount which can affixed first to the wall, withanchor nails or with traditional screws, which avoids having to hold upthe shelf during the installation process. The mount can be installedfirst, then the shelf can be attached by sliding over the mount. Thedevice is further advantageous in that is also can be installed withanchor nails, which can be installed in seconds versus traditional lagbolts or drywall anchors, or screws which require use of several tools.

The disclosed device is structurally different from other known devicesor solutions. More specifically, the device provides (1) a mount and (2)a shelf that contains a horizontal surface and means to attach themount. The mount can be attached to the wall through a variety ofmethods, including through anchor nails.

This disclosure will now provide a more detailed and specificdescription that will refer to the accompanying drawings. The drawingsand specific descriptions of the drawings, as well as any specific oralternative embodiments discussed, are intended to be read inconjunction with the entirety of this disclosure. The Wall Shelf andSlideable Mount may, however, be embodied in many different forms andshould not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forthherein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustrationonly and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and fullyconvey understanding to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective front view of a shelf mount of the presentinvention.

FIG. 1B is a rear view of the shelf mount of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a side view of a first side of the shelf mount of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D is a front view of the shelf mount of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D′ is a top view of the shelf mount of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D″ is a bottom view of the shelf mount of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1E is a side view of a second side of the shelf mount of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the shelf mount of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2B is the rear view of the shelf mount of FIG. 1B with additionaldetail.

FIG. 3A is an elevated perspective view of a specific exemplaryembodiment of a shelf of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the shelf of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a rear view of the shelf of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3D is a side view of the shelf of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3E is a top view of the shelf of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a shelf of the present invention withan alternative embodiment of a shelf.

FIG. 4B is a top view of the shelf of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a front view of the shelf of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D is a side view of the shelf of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4E is a top “bent” view of the shelf of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a shelf of the present inventionsliding over a mount of the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the shelf of FIG. 5A installed on amount of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a “bent” perspective view of the circular shelf of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 6B is a top perspective view of the shelf of FIG. 4A installed on amount.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments ofthe invention. The term “invention” is not intended to refer to anyparticular embodiment or otherwise limit the scope of the disclosure.Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, theembodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, aslimiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. In addition,one skilled in the art will understand that the following descriptionhas broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meantonly to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimatethat the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited tothat embodiment. Drawings are not necessarily to scale or in proportionwhere needed to clearly illustrate a feature.

In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and“comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should beinterpreted to mean “including, but not limited to.” Also, the term“connect” or “connected” where used if at all is intended to mean eitheran indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first component connects toa second component, that connection may be through a direct connectionor through an indirect connection via other components and connections.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claimsto refer to particular system components and method steps. As oneskilled in the art will appreciate, different companies may refer to acomponent by different names. This document does not intend todistinguish between components that differ in name but not function.

The present invention is directed to a metal shelf on slidable mount.The present invention further contemplates a shelf system that includesa shelf component and a mount component.

In its most complete version, the device is made up of the followingcomponents (1) a mount with angled sides, one or more anchor nailplatforms, one or more holes that can accommodate screws, and raisedrails and (2) a shelf that slides over the mount via a vertical bracketportion.

FIGS. 1A-1E show various views of an exemplary embodiment of a shelfmount of the present invention. FIG. 1A is perspective front view ofshelf mount 100, sometimes referred to herein is “mount” or “the mount”.The mount 100 has two anchor nail platforms, wherein the bottom platform102 is at a different angle than the top platform 104. The bottomplatform 102 is angled to facilitate hammering of an anchor nail suchthat the hammer does not strike the raised rail 106 in the middle of themount. 100. Rail 106 extends upward from base 114 to angled terminus116. Rail 106 increases support for the cover 306. Screw hole 108 is atraditional opening designed to accommodate screws, which allow fortraditional installation of the mount if anchor nails are not desired.

FIG. 1B is a rear view of mount 100. The mount 100 also has traditionalholes 108, 109 for receiving screws. The mount 100 has angled edges 112and rails 106 suitable for supporting the cover piece 114 of the shelf116.

FIG. 1C is a side view of a first side of mount 100.

FIG. 1D is a front view of mount 100.

FIG. 1D′ is a top view of mount 100.

FIG. 1D″ is a bottom view of mount 100.

FIG. 1E is a side view of a second side of mount 100.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show various views of the rear side of mount 100. FIG.2A is a perspective rear view of the mount 100, showing in detail therear side 200 of the mount 100. FIG. 2B is a rear view of mount 100. Themount 100 optionally has a have cavity 202 suitable for insertion of adeformable element, such as a plastic sleeve, into which anchor nailswill embed when installed. Bore holes 108, 109 are provided to receivescrews suitable for optionally attaching the mount via traditionalscrews. In specific alternative embodiments, rear side 200 provides aslight recessed area suitable for placement of an insert piece of rubberor similar tacky material to create additional friction with a wall onwhich the mount 100 is fastened and also to prevent marring of the wall.

FIGS. 3A-3E show various views of an embodiment of a quadrilateral shelfof the present invention. FIG. 3A is a top perspective front view of theshelf 300, which has a horizontal shelf portion 302, and a verticalportion 304. Connector sleeve 306 is attached to shelf 300. Connectorsleeve 306 provides angled sides 308, 309 that are complementary to theangled sides 112 of mount 100 such that connector sleeve 306 slides overthe mount 100 and comes to rest on base 114. Gussets 310, and 311 arepresent for increasing the stiffness of the shelf 302.

FIG. 3B is a top view of a quadrilateral shelf of the present invention.Connector sleeve 306 provides angled side 308, 309.

FIG. 3C is a rear view of a quadrilateral shelf of the presentinvention. Vertical portion 304 of shelf 300 rests against a wall onwhich shelf 300 is mounted to provide support reinforcement for theshelf 300. To reduce damage to the wall from contact with portion 304,and to create additional friction to the wall, one or more pads 312 areoptionally attached to back surface of portion 304. Preferably, pads 312are made of a resilient and tacky material suitable for cushioning thecontact between portion 304 and a wall that it rests against. Pads 112increase friction of the shelf 302 against the will which increasesstiffness of the shelf 302 and prevents sagging of the shelf 302.

FIG. 3D is a side view of shelf 300.

FIG. 3E is a top view of shelf 300 with an “bent” view of shelf 300.Because shelf 300 is a metal shelf that can be formed from sheet metal,3 e demonstrates how the sheet metal is stamped to create the shelf 300.Connector sleeve 306 consists of angled sides 308, 309, top side 314,and front face portion 316 which are created with a press brake or othermechanical device to achieve these components at their desired angles.

FIGS. 4A-4E show a variety of views of an alternative embodiment of thepresent shelf having a circular shelf. To be clear, this embodiment isnot limited to circular shapes and contemplates any shape that is aclosed curve or closed ellipse. FIG. 4A is a perspective top view of acircular shelf embodiment. Connector sleeve 306, described above, isattached to circular shelf 400. Gussets 310, 311 extend from connectorsleeve 306 and provide reinforced support for shelf 400.

FIG. 4B is a top view of shelf of FIG. 4 a . Gussets 310, 311 extendfrom connector sleeve 306 and support shelf 400.

FIG. 4C is a front view of the shelf of FIG. 4 a . Connector sleeve 306extends vertically upward from shelf 400.

FIG. 4D is a side view of the shelf of FIG. 4 a . Shelf 400 andconnector sleeve 306 are identified for orientation purposes.

FIG. 4E is a top view of shelf 400 with an “bent” view of shelf 400.Because shelf 400 is a metal shelf that can be formed from sheet metal,4 e demonstrates how the sheet metal is stamped to create the shelf 400.Connector sleeve 306 consists of angled sides 308, 309, top side 314,and front face portion 316 which are created with a press brake or othermechanical device to achieve these components at their desired angles.

FIG. 5A is a rear perspective view of the shelf embodiment of FIG. 3A.Connector sleeve 306 slides over mount 100.

FIG. 5B is a rear perspective view of the shelf embodiment of FIG. 5A.Mount 100 is completely inserted into connector sleeve 306, completingthe mounting process illustrated in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a “bent” view of the circular shelf of FIG. 4A. Shelf 400 isviewed from above in a top view, while mount 100 is viewed from thefront. Mount 100 is inserted into connector sleeve 306 and shelf 400 issupported by gussets 310, 311.

FIG. 6B is a top view of the shelf of FIG. 4 . Mount 100 is insertedinto connector sleeve 306 and shelf 400 is supported by gussets 310,311.

Different features, variations and multiple different embodiments havebeen shown and described with various details. What has been describedin this application at times in terms of specific embodiments is donefor illustrative purposes only and without the intent to limit orsuggest that what has been conceived is only one particular embodimentor specific embodiments. It is to be understood that this disclosure isnot limited to any single specific embodiments or enumerated variations.Many modifications, variations and other embodiments will come to mindof those skilled in the art, and which are intended to be and are infact covered by this disclosure. It is indeed intended that the scope ofthis disclosure should be determined by a proper legal interpretationand construction of the disclosure, including equivalents, as understoodby those of skill in the art relying upon the complete disclosurepresent at the time of filing.

I claim:
 1. A shelf comprising a horizontal plane and a vertical coverportion which slides over a mount.
 2. A mount for a shelf, the mountcomprising angled sides and one or more anchor nail platforms.
 3. Themount of claim 2, further comprising one or more bore holes to receive ascrew.
 4. A shelf system, the system comprising a mount comprisingangled sides and one or more anchor nail platforms; and a shelfcomprising a horizontal plane and a vertical cover portion whichvertical cover portion slides over the mount.
 5. A shelf system, thesystem comprising a mount comprising angled sides and one or moreopenings suitable to accommodate a screw; and shelf comprising ahorizontal plane and a vertical cover portion which vertical coverportion slides over the mount.
 6. A shelf of claim 1, wherein thehorizontal plane further comprises a contiguous vertical portion thatdescends form from the horizontal plane.
 7. The shelf system of claim 4,wherein the horizontal plane further comprises a contiguous verticalportion that descends form from the horizontal plane; and furthercomprising one or more cushion pads optionally attachable to thecontiguous vertical portion.
 8. The shelf system of claim 5, wherein thehorizontal plane further comprises a contiguous vertical portion thatdescends form from the horizontal plane; and further comprising one ormore cushion pads optionally attachable to the contiguous verticalportion.
 9. The shelf of claim 1, wherein the vertical cover portionfurther comprises one or more gussets.
 10. The shelf system of claim 4,wherein the vertical cover portion further comprises one or moregussets.
 11. The shelf system of claim 5, wherein the vertical coverportion further comprises one or more gussets.
 12. The Shelf system ofclaim 4, wherein the vertical cover portion has a shape and the mounthas a shape such that the shape of the vertical cover portion iscomplimentary to the shape of the mount for a secure fit of the verticalcover portion on the mount.
 13. The Shelf system of claim 5, wherein thevertical cover portion has a shape and the mount has a shape such thatthe shape of the vertical cover portion is complimentary to the shape ofthe mount for a secure fit of the vertical cover portion on the mount.